349, Lot: 159. Estimate $75. Sold for $50. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PHOENICIA, Orthoseia. 1st century BC. Æ (19mm, 5.18 g, 1h). Dated year 19 of the Pompeian Era (46/5 BC). Head of Artemis right, with bow and quiver at shoulder / OPΘΩCIЄΩN, Zeus Nikephoros seated left on throne; round shield below; L IΘ (date) to left. Cf. Rouvier 873 (for rev. type; undated); cf. SNG von Aulock 2644 (Orthoseia in Caria; apparently undated); Lindgren & Kovacs 2306 var. (date and crescent? below)DCA –; BMC –. Near VF, dark green patina. Unusual and extremely rare.

Though the reading of this date is uncertain, the type clearly matches the von Aulock specimen, though the area on the reverse of the latter where a date would be is too rough to determine its presence. Additionally, von Aulock placed it under the city in Caria, though other dated examples (of different types) have been attributed to the synonymous city in Phoenicia. DCA coins 597-9 are dated according to the Pompeian Era, so this example has been placed within that structure accordingly. The Lindgren specimen was recorded as dated CT (read upward to right), though a closer inspection shows that the ‘T’ may in fact be read L Δ and across (as in the example above), while the ‘C’ may simply be a crescent control below the date.